Machine for bottling liquids.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- PATENTED MAR-.14, 1905.

, J. A.VHI GKS. MACHINE FOR BOTTLING LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented. March 14, 1905.

PATENT O FICE.

JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS, OFSUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTO STOPPER COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR BOTTLING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,001, dated March14, 1905.

Application filed July 2'7, 1904. Serial No. 218.342. 7

of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inMachines for Bottling Liquids, of which the following is a specifiingFig. 1.

cation.

My invention relates to machines for bottling liquids; and it consistsin certain elements and combinations of elements fully specified andclaimed hereinafter. v

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay understand, construct, and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a bottling-machine to which I attach myinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section on line X X, butwithout the framework. This view is taken looking from right to left ofthe draw- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the bottling-headlooking from the front of the machine as illustrated in Fig. 1 andshowing my invention in enlargement of Figs. 1 and 2 without letteringand describing the parts of the machine which are common to mostbottling-machines and well known to those skilled in the art of bottlingliquids, Whether under pressure or not.

I will describe the particular parts which are novel and my invention.

A is the usual bottling-head, secured in cross-frame B by nuts C. D isthe taper tube which runs vertically through this head A, and throughthis a plunger E operates up and down. This tube D has no openings intoits inner circumference, as is the usual custom, for the entrance of thefluid into it in its passage to the bottle which is being filled nor forthe exit of the air,

which escapes from the bottle while it is being filled, called bybottlers snifling.

account the tube D is smooth and unobstructed throughout its wholelength, and therefore cannot abrade the cork which is forced through itby the plunger in corking the bottle after On this and not, as is usual,to the tube D. H is an opening in the bottling-head for the discharge ofair from the bottle while being filled and has a passage J to connect itwith the bottom of the bottling-head instead of to the tube D, as isusual. Into the opening H is screwed a discharge-pipe having a valve toregulate the airdischarge, usually called the sniffing-valve. At thebottom of the bottling-head A a flange K is fastened by screws Landhaving an opening in its center equal to the diameter of the lower endof the taper tube D. A washer M, located between the bottom of thebottlinghead and the flange K, separates the two a slight distance, sothat a space is provided for the entrance into it of fluid throughpassage G and the exit of air to passage J. A rubber gasket N is securedbeneath flange K by a flanged nut O. This gasket N has a hole in it ofproper size to fit the top of bottle which is to be filled and makes atight joint between flange K and the bottle-mouth. The tube D carriesthe stopper when the machine is being operated to fill bottles and corkor seal them.

In Fig. 3 is shown a bottle being in position to be filled, with thestopper in the tube D. Q is the bottle. upon the bottle-mouth and havingan opening in the top surface centrally of said surface and of smallerdiameter than the diameter of the bore of the bottle.

The gasket N is shown compressed upon a shoulder S on the bottle-neck tomake a tight joint between the bottling-head and the bottle. Fig. 4cshows a top view of the flange K.

T is the valve which opens or closes the R is the sealing-cap securedconnection of the bottling-head passages G with the source of supply forthe fluid, usually under great pressure.

Fig. 1 shows the bottling-head and its vari-- ous parts compressed uponthe bottle-mouth by means of foot-lever U and its connections with thesliding frame B, which carries the bottling-head in the usual manner.

The operation of filling a bottle by the bottling-machine as illustratedin the drawings is as follows: The valve T being closed, the travelingcross-head, which carries the plunger E, being at,its topmost limit ofthrow, and the lower end of the plunger above the top of thebottling-head, a stopper of larger diameter than the top of the tube Dis placed in the tube D and the plunger forced down upon it, driving itdownward in the said tube and squeezing it to the diameter of the lowerpart of the taper tube D to about the position shown in Fig. 3. Thebottle to be filled is then placed under the bottom of the bottlingheadand tube D and resting on the table in a cup Y. The bottling-head A isthen brought down upon the bottle Q by the foot-lever U and itsconnections to said head, so that the gasket N rests upon the bottle Q,firmly, making a tight joint, as shown in Fig. 3. The valve T is thenopened and the fluid under pressure is led into the bottle Q through thepassage Gr and the bottle filled nearly to the top, the air which was inthe said bottle escaping through passage J and the sniflingvalve abovereferred to and which is a wellknown device and is a spring-valve set tothe desired pressure. The plunger is then forced downward by thehand-lever Z and its connections until the stopper has entered thebottle-mouth to the desired extent. In the bottle the bottle-cap andseals the bottle by pressure from within the bottle. The bottle is thenremoved and 'the operation is repeated with another bottle.

As there are no openings in the circumference of tube D, there can be noabrasion of the stopper, as in the case with bottling-tubes which areperforated by the filling and the air-discharge openings and are bothfilling and corking tubes.

Having now fully described my invention and the manner in which I haveembodied it, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

In a bottling-head for bottling-machines, the combination consisting ofthe corkingtube as D; a flange-plate secured to the base of saidbottling-head, surrounding the base of said corking-tube, and forming aspace between the said flange and the base of said bottling-head;passages for conveying fluid and for air-discharge leading to and fromthe space between said flange and the base of said corking-tube, allcombined and arranged substantially as specified, whereby the fluids intheir passage to and air in its passage from a vessel being filled,passes beneath the corkingtube into the bottle substantially asspecified.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 25th day of J uly, A. D. 1904:.

JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. HICKS, N. P. BARR.

